Duke Energy coal plant on trial Wednesday

Duke Energy Indiana is seeking approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to build a new coal plant in Indiana.\nCitizens interested in being part of the legal process should attend the public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at city hall.\nThe proposed plant is an integrated gasification combined cycle plant in Edwardsport, Ind., about 50 miles from Bloomington, replacing an existing Duke coal plant. \nAccording to Angeline Protegere, spokesperson for Duke, the proposed plant strays from the norm in that it will be one of the cleanest coal plants in the world. Protegere estimates the construction of the new plant would create several hundred jobs. However, only about 100 people would be employed by the plant, and 37 are already filled by current workers, according to a Duke Energy press release.\nAccording to Duke’s Web site, gasification converts coal into synthetic gas and steam. The synthetic gas is processed, removing sulfur compounds, mercury and particulate matter from the gas before it’s used to fuel a combustion turbine generator, which is attached to an electric generator. The turbine generates more steam and that, along with the steam produced in the gasification process, powers the electric generator. \nThe Citizens Action Coalition, the state’s oldest and largest consumer and environmental advocacy group, is concerned that the coal plant will increase carbon dioxide emissions substantially.\n“In a day and age when we are trying to reduce our carbon footprint, it is unthinkable that we’d go backwards,” Kerwin Olson outreach coordinator for CAC.\nAccording to Protogere and a Duke press release, the annual sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions will be decreased by the replacement of the new plant. However, the overall carbon dioxide emissions will be higher because the proposed plant is substantially larger than the current plant.\nProtegere expects environmental groups to appear supporting both sides of the issue. She said the Clean Air Task Force and the Indiana Wildlife Federation are both in favor of the coal plant. \nIURC spokeswoman Mary Beth Fisher said any citizens present that would like to contribute will be called to testify.\n“Basically, they’ll stand up to the mic and say whatever it is they want to say,” Fisher said.\nAll citizen input will be included in the state’s formal record.